Bikes on buses update

More METRO bus rides are bringing along their bicycles to complete their trip and get from point A to point B.

In June, the number of bikes on buses hit a record 21,941, a 32 percent increase over June a year ago. For the first nine months of this fiscal year (Oct. 2013 to June 2014), bike boardings rose 50 percent over the same period a year ago to 178,401.

Biking in the city is a trend that’s being promoted by city and county officials. METRO’s Kingsland Park & Ride bike partnership included $84,000 donated by METRO to build a bridge, path and parking that leads to a trail expanded by Harris County. The city donated bike racks for parking.

The trend continues, as did the good B-Cycle news. As I’ve said repeatedly, it’s important for these networks to intersect and act as extensions of one another. The more we can do to facilitate nor-car travel, the better off we’ll all be. That includes the drivers, who will find themselves in less traffic. Adding other kinds of capacity will also serve to add capacity to the roads.